The third day of a traditional indian wedding is the most epic and anticipated day! (to see Day One and Day Two go here and here) For our bride and groom, the day started early in the hills of Tucson, Arizona. The girls and guys were getting ready in their separate suits at Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resorts where we found them buzzing around sorting ALL the details and grand ensemble that goes into an indian bride and groom’s wedding wardrobe. We grabbed a few details, navigated some drama, flexed the timeline and brushed off the stress. It was time to get married…

BARAAT

The groom and his family came riding in on a horse-drawn carriage with his entire family dancing around like crazy in zealous Baraat fashion. Parin made his way to the entrance of the wedding venue and met the Mother of the Bride who applied tilak and performs aarti to rid him of any evil eyes cast upon him. He then waited under the Mandap for Shiragi to exchange garlands—a lively, fun moment followed by a sudden whooping and hollering. “We got them! we got them” was heard from a cluster of bridesmaids. You’ll see below just WHAT extent the bridesmaids were willing to go to steal the groom’s shoes…

CEREMONY

The actual wedding ceremony is serious, respectful and attended by all. While the groom waited to see as his bride approached, Iwas taken off guard when i noticed dad’s first look of his daughter. Shiragi and Santosh had an incredibly sweet bond and the presentation of the bride was super emotional for everybody in the room. When the curtain covering Parin was dropped, he choked up and the rest of the ceremony was filled with tears and laughter all mixed together.

VIDAI

The Vidai is a goodbye ceremony of the bride bidding farewell to her family and leaving of her maternal home. It was emphasized that “this was going to be super emotional” as it is considered one of the most sentimental outbursts. Santosh was the last in line to hug his daughter. The tradition is for brother and cousins of the Bride help push the vehicle as an indication of their acceptance of the couple’s new life together and adventure forward. The female friends and relatives of the bride playfully stand in front of the car to “keep them from leaving.” All the symbolism was rich and constantly honoring the family and the life being left behind and the joy they anticipated forward. It was crazy beautiful.

RECEPTION

The ceremony was followed by family portraits, then a private lunch and then PREP time for the grand finale — the reception. Set at the Tucson Convention Center, the design and catering team did a phenomenal job serving and keeping the flow of event moving and engaging. With fog machines, light up drums, lazer shows and a massive light-up dance floor…it was an experience for everybody. Bride & groom surprised people with a zealous dance performance but Santosh raise the glass and the bar when the finale included a burst of sparks and fire machines heralded the new life and adventure.

What a privilege to be invited into this crazy intense celebration. Shiragi & Parin, we will FOREVER be greatfull and honored that you and your families trusted the LKM team to come be part of your wedding celebration! What a treasure and highlight of our year! We are excited to see you guys again in July in Chicago!

// BRIDE’S REVIEW //

“Photographers hold tremendously unique roles within a wedding. Typically, they do not personally know anyone on either side, but are still responsible for capturing the most precious moments of two people’s lives. Laura and her team broke this stigma. During our wedding, not only did the LKM team do a fantastic job with their photography, they were family. And when we say “family”, we truly mean some of the most important people at our wedding.

“From Day 1 (and even before the festivities started) Laura and her team showed a supreme interest in (our) wedding. Their excitement and passion only heightened enthusiasm for our special weekend. With every click and with every scream for joy, this wedding hands down would not have been as successful without the LKM photographers. The positivity of the team, the willingness to go above and beyond, and the ability to accommodate all sorts of crazy requests demonstrated professionalism and expertise. Although this was LKM’s first Hindu wedding, they did not show any semblance of confusion and it felt like they had done this type of event a thousand times before…Everyone in both our families has been to hundreds of Hindu weddings in the past, but we can guarantee that no one has ever experienced anything like with Laura and her team. The photographers infused energy, laughter, and vibrancy into every guest. Their aura and presence changed any mood for the better. And do not get us started on the quality of the photos. They are absolutely gorgeous! They embody the true spirit and capture every timeless moment of the weekend. Thank you so much to Laura and her team of excellent photographers for making a huge impact on our wedding! We would highly recommend the LKM team to anyone looking for photographers who genuinely care about their clients and who have the absolute best personalities!” ~ Shiragi, Bride

The groom arrived mid-morning on Day 2 of Parin & Shiragi’s wedding. (See DAY 1 here) and the atmosphere was ripe and welcoming. Shiragi, by tradition, was hid by the brothers and men closest to her pretended to keep her and make it rough to get to her. I legitimately teared up when they finally hugged. 24 hours of pre-celebrating without him had made everybody so eager for his arrival and for them to finally be together.

Now that both families were together, the time melded together into the flurry of family laughter, reunions, everybody wanted a picture with a loved one ALL the time. it was awesome. Pulling away to get a few quick portraits with the bride and groom became less about what time it was and more about how sneaky we could be. It became a game…lots of intuitive eye contact with Shiragi and Parin and keeping a pulse on family. We also had to be fast both because relatives would start hunting us down AND because it was the first triple digit day in the desert and we were SWEATING bullets.

GROOM’S PITHI

As Parin and his family collected onto the terrace of Westward Look, the music and dancing began and ushered everybody into an energetic and playful Pithi ceremony while they blessed and prayed and laughed over Parin. Best moment was when aunts got fiesty and demanded he strip down and the haldi got crazy. Mom and dad got flanked too. It was fantastic.

RAAS GARBA

There was an interlude in the afternoon for reprieve, showers and primping for the Raas Garba (i.e. the coolest, loudest, most vibrant dance party you’ll ever go to). Once refreshed and ready, we grabbed some moments alone with the couple for a few sunshine desert portraits…and of course a cohort of friends insisted on coming to cat call and join in :)

There is a an indian art form called rangoliwhere a relative or loved one created an intricate pattern drawn by hand an then filled with powdered rice, flower petals, chalk powder and coloured sand. It’s a form of blessing and expression of celebration. A close relative of the bride and groom was interior designer, Nisha Tailor Interior Designer, who lovingly shared her heart and her art in these designs all over Westward Look’s property. Her particularly eye-catching peacock piece was center stage in the massive ballroom for the Raas Garba.

During cocktail hour and through the evening, our photography team took turns running an open air personalized photo booth. It was a fantastic way to be part of the welcoming experience for guests. We got to meet each couple, take more portraits, connect personally and were welcomed warmly.

MM Celebrations LLCwas ON FIRE all weekend long. The event design and planning company from New Jersey haddriven in a massive UHAUL cross-country packed with all the treasures to transform each ceremony into an explosion of festivity. Raas Garba was said to be a crowning jewel of color and dancing for the weekend so we came with energy drinks, extra manpower and eye wide open. Santosh flew a band of famous musicians from India for the weekend and they treated guests with lively music until midnight. Sticks were passed out as part of the traditional dance, Dandiya Raas, and EVERYBODY got in on it — old and young — men and women. The energy (and sweat) and fun in that room took “how to celebrate” to a whole new level. Here is a little youtube clip of the BEGINNING of their 45 minute Raas where two circles are formed and start with a first dance of bride and groom. If you can imagine all 400+ guests ending up in that room, dancing in circles faster and faster for 45 minutes.

These florida sweethearts got fancy and grabbed their favorite luxury champagne Veuve Clicquot for a finale of their Orlando Florida Engagement Session in Kraft Azalea Gardens, Winter Park. By this point Megan & Kyle had gotten comfortable with me and the camera. We had all laughed a little, shared more of our stories and bonded a bit. Truly, it is this point in LKM engagement sessions that I (laura) settle in and breathe the best parts of romance. The goal in all our sessions is to ultimately find a natural, authentic stride where the attention is on each other and not the awkwardness. These two leaned into that and it was such a sweet place of comfort with each other. The backdrop of the gardens was exquisite and we ended on such a note of celebration. Highlights below! (if you didn't see the first part of their engagement session, here is Part 1)

Megan + Kyle wanted their engagement session in Orlando to be classy, shnazzy but personal and authentic. Kyle is a chef and culinary teacher and Megan is Rollins College Associate Event Director. With their refined taste and Megan's acute sense of planning, we were able to meet for coffee the morning of their session, cover a few details, talk timeline, catch up on a bit of their love story and prep for the evening's engagement session around winter park. We grabbed a few casual shots with their fur baby in the rain in the courtyard of Barnie's Kitchen and then reconvened a few hours later all gussied up and ready to strut their stuff in Winter Park. Shout out to Armando's for graciously letting us get cozy in their classy restaurant and messin' with their wine glasses.

Hi! If you are newly engaged, take note! LKM has officially launched LKM in Orlando! We are providing wedding and engagement session packages for Central Florida couples at no extra travel cost! It is our new travel hub -- our new place of adventure and plan to be out once every fall/winter and spring and summer seasons! Inquire HERE to check on dates for our next Orlando visit!

 One reason I knew I wanted Laura to photograph my wedding, even before I was engaged, is because she has a personality that will bring the fun, smiles and spunk out of people. She can fit into any crowd. She loves to tell a story with her photography. She wants to capture the emotion and thoughts during each and every moment of your special day... ~ Katie Dollar, Bride

The Wedding Day Story...behind the scenes recap

Wedding photography for this Austin wedding day began early. My team and I (Makayla, Gavyn & I) made our trek (but first, coffee) to Molly, the make up artist’s house and our jaws dropped with the shiny chrome and class that oozed from Molly’s home studio. Her work was stunning and you could tell that the girls were being pampered well. We hung out a little while the bride relaxed with her girls and mimosa.

We peaced out to the venue 10 minutes down the country road to Vista West Ranch -- a hidden boutique gem of a venuein the middle of Dripping Springs Texas on the outskirts of Austin. The whole location was perfect--nailing the casual but classy vibe of the couple's personality colors were fresh and the sunbeams ROYALLY on par. Also note, Austin wedding coordinator Jordan Smith with Coordinate This helped move things along from the very beginning of the weekend and kept everything smooth and organized!

The first look was one of the most precious. The couple being nonsense "lets just have fun" kind of people seemed to sink into the moment alone--reading their vows to eachother and breathing in the first real moments of the wedding day. Their affection and eagerness was palpable. From there we swayed into wedding part pictures, family portraits and all the relaxed, casual moments with the VIPs. Can we just take a moment to note that First Look's are crazy intensely game-changing? It was, at least, for Eric & Katie. They had been on the fence but experiencing that space of sweetness and unprompted freedom and privacy--it set the tone of joy for the day!

The ceremony time approached and the bride made her way back to the room to freshen up and cool off a little. (It was a warm one that day). Guests trickled in and the bride watched eagerly from above through the window of the bridal parlor. Because the timeline had provided these margins of space to just breath and enjoy eachother, she used this pamper time to give a few letters to her girls. Good grief were those notes special!

Because we been able to capture so many of the signature portrait moments and enjoyed family time, bride and groom grabbed a few relaxed moments in creme de la creme late afternoon light and then surprised the guests by joining cocktail hour early and doing a super special receiving line--welcome their guests personally into the dining hall!

The rest of the night was spent eating yummy food, enjoying cake and being merry. (note the Baylor Stadium Groom's Cake!)

It was an absolute pleasure working with Katie + Eric on their wedding day. They are such a sweet and laid back couple and their love for each other was evident from the moment I met them. They put together a fabulous vendor team, including Laura Moore Photography. Not only were they fun to work with throughout the evening, but their professionalism made the event run smoothly and the whole night went off without a hitch. Of course the images are stunning and something Katie + Eric will be able to treasure forever as they look back on their wedding day. ~ Jordan Smith, Owner & Lead of Coordinate This

What a firecracker and joy to have (LKM & her team) photograph our wedding.... They want to capture the emotion and thoughts during each and every moment of your special day! I would HIGHLY recommend LKM for an engagement and wedding photographer. Thank you, Laura, for all you did for Eric and I. Thank you for going above and beyond! ~ Eric & Katie

Eric & Katie, it was an honor to be part of your wedding weekend! Thank you so much for trusting us with your crazy fun and spaztically awesome wedding day! :D Joy, LKM

To see more from Eric & Katie's wedding weekend, go HERE for their engagement session, HEREfor their rehearsal & mini sweetheart session and HERE for their wedding video!

We adore storytelling and are a bit obsessed about people...the natural, real side of people.

As part of our "wedding weekend" packages we often are able to be a part of the rehearsal and maybe some dinner flare. It offers a chance to meet people, break the ice with our destination wedding folk and start storytelling off on the right foot--with relationship and candor. :)

Eric & Katie spent some sweet moments with us during their wedding weekend -- we met each other Thursday morning before the wedding for a sunrise engagement session on PennyBacker Bridge on the outskirts of Austin Texas. Afterwards we parted ways, edited a few highlights and then met back up again later that evening to casually watch, shoot and meet friends and relatives at their rehearsal on wedding venue property: Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs.

Below are a few highlights of the chill evening and camaraderie between their favorite people. It set the tone for the weekend -- celebratory, energetic and deeply affectionate and grateful. See highlights from the evening below a!

Go HERE to see Eric & Katie's engagement session on Austin's PennyBacker Bridge & HERE To see their full wedding day highlight story!

Every February/March the world of photography converges in Vegas at a conference called WPPI (Weddings and Portrait Photographers International). Photographers, vendors, industry leaders, trend setters and market voices stand on podiums, walk the halls, hug familiar faces, wave to familiar fans (and even those not familiar), vouch for their favorite products, attest to their current equipment and speak boldly about failures and successes over the years. It is a place where proficiency is honored and a few prodigies are identified.

WHY WE CAME

This year I, Laura - LKM owner and exec. photographer, am returning with three ladies who are the current #LKM&CO team. Megan Lange, Makayla McGarvey and Miranda Rico are walkin' the halls as a team--representing LKM with vigor, class and an affirming sense of trust in myself as their boss/leader/trainer/mentor. Attending this conference is something we've been preparing for for months. The girls have gotten used to my invasive questions. They've even started to anticipate them and when they catch me approaching another gut-kicking/self-awareness-challenging question they often say, "uh oh, it's a laura question." #suchasatisfyingthingtobeknownfor

I came this year for these ladies. I wanted them to get dunked into the industry and hear voices other than my own. I wanted to hear different value systems, different strategies, different histories and "how i made it work" stories. I wanted them to observe the variety of personalities and dynamics; assess what organically attracts them to other photographers/other work and what might confuse them. I wanted them to get training in areas that are not my fortes while hearing an echo of things that are the lifeblood of the LKM brand--i.e. LOVE PEOPLE, CAPTURE REAL STORIES, YOUR WORTH IS NOT DEFINED BY YOUR PRICE TAG BUT YOUR PRICE TAG SHOULD REFLECT THE WORTH OF WHAT YOU DO, etc etc etc. (I have several soap boxes that I get very feisty about so i'll have self-control for the moment.)

DAY 1 - SATURDAY - PRINT HANGING / CONFERENCE PREP

First stage of the whole experience was working alongside Jerry Ghionis & his Print Competition Crew and fearless "hangers" leader Garret Winslow. We worked in shifts all day. Below are highlights from our time watching a bit of the print judging and hanging the winners on the floor in the expo hall! I very much consider the experience a VIP pass and "sneak peak" to the competition's results. It was a sweet dunk into the deep end of competitive quality for the girls too. Immersing ourselves into international standards of excellence across a variety of genres in photography was healthy and challenging and inspiring. I especially caught a lump in my throat when 5 internationally renowned judges bantered back and forth fighting the score and integrity of a particularly journalistic image. It was 1 single image and they were peering at it intensely--discussing every gnitty gritty detail that went into a perfect picture--the convergence of old school, new school and just standard rules of storytelling and composition and color grading. I felt myself sobered to think of how FAST i approach pictures and don't always slow down for the perfect elements or patiently comprise something that is one step more refined or thoughtful or patiently precise. I was challenged to be more patient--respectful and engaged with my role a storyteller as well as an artist as well as people person.

once done we hung out and fleshed out the classes and instructor and vendors we wanted to connect with

Tim & Jenna's Destination Wedding at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya in Cancun, Mexico was a bit other-worldly and rich with color and crazy. When we first got Jenna's inquiry a year prior to her wedding she described her vision to be defined by 3 things she cared most about: the people, the party, and the purpose. The whole year leading up to the wedding, i was most impressed with Jenna's intense attention to detail and desire to really make it as smooth and enjoyable as possible for everyone. She was ON TOP OF the details -- and the team she built to help with travel details and communication were ON PAR. Note: Travel Agent Ketti Menne from Paradise Weddingswas highly regarded. In Jenna's words, "that chic orchestrated transcontinental flights for over 120 people! WHAT?!" Both Tim & Jenna were true hosts and their words of gratitude at their reception only further delivered that priority!

Here are some sweet highlights from this couple's amazing destination wedding in Mexico. Opportunities to shoot love stories and destination weddings like this -- tropics and iguanas and week long escapades with the beech breeze at our backs and world famous cenotes in our backyards -- it was the stuff of dreams! We were honored to be trusted as the Wallace's storytellers! Enjoy!

P.S. Be sure to catch and note the vendor list in case you are considering a destination wedding in Cancun. The idea of travel can be daunting but Jenna and Tim sure did hand pick a swell team of reliable peeps to deliver an epic party and experience.

The first look was precious -- i mean his FACE when he saw her!!! -- and both had prepared a surprise gift for the other. (note the peanut gallery spying on them in the balcony above :D)

while the rest of the wedding party got ready, we had arranged enough time to just be alone with the couple and capture the diversity of Hard Rock's incredible property...first they OWNED that beach...

then we waited for the wedding party in the jungle in the heart of the resort

Wedding party meandered over and strut their stuff...

Family pictures were relaxed and pleasant -- the special attention to love one's closest to the bride and groom was appreciated. The Tim and his brothers and dad were able to nail an epic "album cover", parents were adequately honored and kissed and thanked for their crazy investment in the whole week, siblings were hugged, kids were relaxed and the prelude before the wedding began to build with excitement :)

Jenna whispered a request to have her parents captured before she and Tim stole away one last time before the ceremony began.

and then the vows

and then the party

Real Life Feedback from bride and groom received several days post-wedding:

Laura and Lawson,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything you did for us. To be honest, I was hoping to write this email to you yesterday, but I was still on such a wedding high that I didn’t want to open my computer…I just wanted to relish in that feeling and dream about it all day!

Photography is a big wedding expense, and I had to fight for that spend in the budget, but after last week, no one was questioning me anymore! My mom, dad, and Tim all pulled me aside to say how good they felt in your hands and how grateful they were that you were there. Not to mention, I was extremely relieved to have you at rehearsal dinner! At first, I didn’t quite recognize how much I needed you there, but then after I got to watch you in action for a bit, this feeling of “fewf” waved over me. Just having another person helping with the timeline, insisting that we run rehearsal once more, and being able to share ideas before the big day…those little things made such a big difference in my state of mine.

I can’t tell you how many people came up to me last week to tell me how great you and your husband were. Regular wedding guests were raving about how they caught both of you using all your toys and lighting devices to capture the best image, how you two seemed so passionate about the job, or how fun it was to watch you get really excited or worked up about a particular lighting or photo op. My videographer Katie was raving about your work and how much she learned from you to strangers in the bar. At one point, Lawson was bringing me water and holding my purse. Another person noticed him laying on the ballroom floor with our rings trying to capture a moment. My bridesmaids were laughing about all your quirky verbal directions and reminiscing about it the next day on the beach. Even participating in “red light, green light” with the kiddos was fun! What a beautiful idea to think that my wedding guests felt loved and important just by watching you do your job!

Then Timmy told me about your pep talk to him before we had our first look and it melted my heart. What other photographers give pep talks like that?! I told you that day that I was unusually relaxed and calm…which is a bit odd for me, especially since I have this inner “event planner” who doesn’t know when to let go sometimes. But that wasn’t the case on my wedding day. It was all so easy and smooth. “The bride should have no sense of time,” is what you told me over the phone. I would say we definitely accomplished that! I took out my phone once for a selfie with my husband, but other than that, I didn’t respond to any text messages, and instead just breathed in the memories. I can’t help but think you and Lawson had a lot to do with that.

You two went above and beyond the duties of photographer. I genuinely felt like I had families members not photographers with me on my special day, and I can’t thank you enough for being by my side for both the wedding and rehearsal dinner. You are truly an artist, and I can’t wait to share your creations!!! ~ Love, Jenna (bride)

You just can't beat that kind of rock solid affirmation.... Tim & Jenna, It was an honor to be trusted with your wedding day!! BLESSINGS!!! | LKM

Joshua & Joyce knew that wrangling family for their wedding was going to be tricky. So they hijacked an evening during their family reunion this summer and made sure it happened. The day was low key and casual with a few sprinkles that made it special. Her dress was handmade by a dear friend with dye-tipped ends and led lights sewn in to surprise guests as the sunset. Balboa Inn was the historical venue where all pre-gaming and prep happened. The gazebo across the street had been reserved and up until ceremony time, guests were welcome to lounge on the beach, enjoy barbecue and leisurely engage till vow time. Here are a few highlights from the day :)

Chris & Megan are getting married tomorrow! Makayla and I flew into Boston last night and drove up to Portland Maine this afternoon to meet up with the soon-to-be-weds to grab a sweetheart session to just connect and laugh and diffuse and help get them familiar with direction and posing and not posing and just enjoying each other in front of the camera. And... before we even started Makayla and I just looked at each other and nodded, "they are going to be PERFECTLY FINE tomorrow..." :D

Want more LKM?:

Interested in engagement session or wedding tips? Wanna know where LKM might be traveling to next? Excited about the next seasonal special? Let us drop you a line and we promise we won't get weird or spammy :)